Love Blooms, Even Among Elephant Bones
by Heavenly Faye-Faye
Summary: In a barren elephant graveyard where nothing grows and only hyenas roam, seeds of romance can still blossom, even between the hyena clan's matriarch and her quick-tempered second-in-command. A series of one-shots featuring Shenzi/Banzai.
1. Story 1: Clever

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lion King or anything associated with it, as it is property of Disney.

A/N: Ahem… Since I was four years old, I have adored Disney's _The Lion King_. I saw the movie in theaters a couple times, watched the VHS copy way more than I probably should have, and proudly carried my Shenzi plush around wherever I went – the hyenas were my absolute favorite. I sought out as much hyena merchandise as I could as a kid (which unfortunately didn't amount to much), I listened to "Be Prepared" so often I remembered the lyrics by heart at age six, and most importantly, I shipped Shenzi and Banzai together long before I knew what pairings were. There was just something about the two that clicked, and I swear that despite being at such a young age, I somehow managed to understand what all the looks and exchanges really _meant_. Sure, they are clearly great friends, but those little moments between the two suggested that yeah, they are _totally_ more than friends. When I got out of my "too old for Disney" phase and re-watched TLK, I fell in love with the pair all over again, this time being able to pinpoint exactly what little details in their scenes made me so supportive of the pair in the first place, and I sought out fanfiction of 'em almost immediately. I didn't write any myself, as I never had any ideas for _what_ to write with these two, and it seemed like many other fans had more than enough plot-bunnies of their own to suffice. I saw the musical recently and suddenly my craving for seeing more of the hyena trio came rushing back. More than that, I needed read about my OTP. I needed cute romantic balls of feelings about these two, damn it, and I needed it _now_!

And thus, sparks of inspiration hit me, and this series of one-shots was born. This first one was actually the first one I wrote, and it was born out of a need to see the pair play-fight. Keep in mind they aren't necessarily in any order, and that some are very short. Please R+R and enjoy!

* * *

_Short Summary_: It wasn't often, but occasionally Banzai got one up on her.

* * *

_**Clever**_

"Banzai, if I've beat you in nearly every fight we've had since we were kids, what makes you think you'll beat me now?" Shenzi taunted, a smirk on her face as she cracked her neck.

The male hyena grinned mischievously as he and his ever-present female companion circled one another in the secluded cavern. The muscles in his legs flexed in preparation for the leap he was about to make. Even after several years of the playful fights they had, he could feel his brain buzz in anticipation. There was just something in the way she moved and those quick snap-decisions she made during these fights that just made his heart flutter. He didn't care who won, but the feeling of her paws holding him down as she gave one of those glamorous triumphant smiles made everything worth it.

A moment more, and Banzai leapt through the air as a nearby vent gave off a blast of steam. Shenzi dodged to the right, taking only a second to pounce on his side, pushing him down to the ground with her weight on his middle, causing them to roll.

Banzai made a snap at her shoulder, not biting hard enough to break the skin, but enough to grasp hold and fling her away. He rolled over and stood back up, watching as she rolled onto her belly.

If it were anyone else, he would've pounced on her as soon as she tried to get up. But the way she looked at the moment, with her bangs slightly messy and her fur showing hints of sweat while the green glow of their surroundings lit up her eyes was quite a distraction.

Shenzi took the opportunity and pounced on him, pushing his shoulders into the dirt. Banzai felt the wind get knocked out of him as he hit the ground. Shenzi stood over him, her paws on either sides of his shoulders and legs, her lips curled into a smile before pulling back to reveal long, pointed canines.

"Pinned ya again. I win," she gloated.

The male hyena gave another wicked grin. "Oh, I dunno about _that._"

Before the girl could question that, Banzai grabbed her by the insides of front legs and rolled them both over, putting Shenzi on her back while he kept his weight on top of her. Their muzzles nearly touching, Banzai smirked. "Looks like Iwin, _chica_."

Shenzi was a bit baffled. She hadn't seen that coming. It was kind of...impressive. Clever, even.

But she wasn't one to lose.

She leaned in closer to his mouth, watching as his eyes widened when she gave his lips a slow lick. A dreamy expression came over his face.

"I'm pretty sure _I_ won first," she affirmed in a husky, seductive tone as she gently pushed him off of her. "Got that?"

His dreamy expression deepened. She could practically see the hearts hovering over his head. "Sure thing, babe."

"Good. Oh, and Banzai?"

"Yeah?"

"First, this is for _almost_ beating me," She leaned over and licked his cheek.

"And secondly," Suddenly, Shenzi swatted him hard over the head with her paw, "That's for letting your opponent _get up_!"

As Shenzi sauntered away, Banzai rubbed the spot on his head where she hit him. It hurt, but she had been right. It was a stupid mistake.

Then again, the fact that she kissed him, not once but _twice,_ totally made up for it. He felt himself grin as he stored the memory away, vowing not to forget it.

"'ey, bird brain! Are you gonna sit there all day in a daze or what?" Shenzi called after him from farther away, a smirk back on her face.

He ran to catch up, and as always, padded along beside her.


	2. Story 2: Alarm

A/N: This one was partially inspired by a hyena-based episode of the _Timon & Pumbaa_ cartoon, "Can't Take a Yolk". If you haven't seen it (but you want to), it's only a YouTube search away! ;)

* * *

_Short Summary:_ Sometimes, Shenzi hit him over the head to wake him up, but today, she decided to use a more gentle manner...

* * *

_**Alarm**_

The sun's rays slowly crept over the Serengeti plains in the early hours of the morning, casting an almost golden light on everything it touched. Even the caves on the outskirts of the elephant graveyard were blessed with the light of dawn.

In the largest elephant skull closest to the Pridelands lay three snoozing hyenas, all exhausted from a late-night hunt. The two males of the group gave an occasional snore, still in the midst of dreamland, while the female, and leader of the trio, gave a restless yawn as she stretched out her legs.

Shenzi rubbed at her eyes, her ears twitching slightly as particularly loud snore emitted from the male who slept closest to her.

The temptation to smack Banzai awake always arose when he snored too loudly. Her gaze snapped from the sunrise to his face as he gave another snore, though of a softer tone this time.

She felt her heart twitch in her chest as she looked at the sweet expression he bore. It wasn't often that she saw a calm, almost serene look on the hot-headed hyena's face. She almost felt like she couldn't hit him when he looked like that…

The sunrise meant that herds would start waking up soon, too. If they wanted breakfast, she'd have to wake both Banzai and Ed. Ed was impossible to wake if he wasn't shook violently or hit with something. Banzai, on the other hand, would wake up if she just nudged him harshly a few times and spoke to him.

But where was the fun in that?

The female gave a smirk as her gently-snoozing companion gave a small groan. It was far too cute to see the tough-talking Spanish-speaker of their group so defenseless and open.

Shenzi leaned over him until her mouth was near his left ear. She flicked her tongue over the soft fur there, causing the ear to twitch in line with his messy tail. She snickered a little at her newfound discovery. Focusing back on the task at hand with mischievous glee, she took a deep breath and gently blew over the wet spot.

Banzai gave an involuntary shudder, but he still slept on.

_Hurmph. Harder to wake than I thought._

"Hmmm…Shenz'…" The male mumbled.

The female froze. Was he dreaming about her, or did he know she was there? She sat perfectly still, waiting for another sign that he was asleep. His breathing remained even.

Ed's mix of snores and sleep-giggles drifted over from the far corner of the cave, a stark contrast to the light snores Banzai emitted.

Shenzi let out a sigh of relief.

_Maybe biting him would work?_

She leaned forward and tugged his left ear towards her with her sharp teeth, her tongue barely brushing his fur. The male gave a groan as his snout wriggled a bit, but he was still dozing on.

Now she was beginning to get annoyed. How deep of a sleep was he in?!

Now disregarding whether he would put two and two together when he awoke, she gave his exposed cheek a slow lick.

Nothing.

Feeling her face get hot, she decided to try one more thing. If it didn't work, she'd wake him up in a more traditional way.

Slightly nervous, her eyes darted from the far corner of the cave where Ed slept and back to Banzai's calm face. Both were still sleeping.

Taking a breath, she tilted his head towards hers and pressed her lips to his for a few moments before pulling back and letting his head drop back down, her black lips tingling with warmth.

The slight impact of Banzai's head to the floor of the cave seemed to have worked. "Gaahh! What the-?!" He had started to rub his forehead with one of his paws as he sat up. _Have I been moving in my sleep or something? Why does my cheek feel wet and my lips all warm?_

He opened his eyes and saw Shenzi besides him, a smirk on her face. "Aw, why'd ya wake up before I could give ya your alarm clonk?"

"Ya sure ya didn't already give me one?! My head _hurts_," he grimaced as rubbed his right temple. _Then again, she usually hits me on the _top_ of my head..._

Shenzi rolled her eyes. "Pfft, ya did that to yaself. ED!" She hollered, "Wakey wakey, Ed!" She kicked the thigh bone of a zebra at the wall above Ed's head, startling the hyena awake with a yelp.

"You tellin' me that I hit myself in my sleep or somethin', _chica_?" Banzai argued, a scowl on his face while Ed laughed.

"Yeah, and ya _snore_, too!" The female barked back, "Now both of ya shut up and an get a move on, the herds aren't gonna stay in one place all mornin'!" With that, she trotted out, the two males following her shortly after.

Banzai caught up to her fast and walked beside her, still annoyed. He had been dreaming about kissing her on the grassy plains, the two finally alone so he could confess his feelings to her. Then she went and ruined it by hitting his head to wake him up! At the back of his mind, he kept wondering why his lips had felt so warm when he got up. Was it the aftereffects of the dream? Why had Shenzi been right next to him, and had nothing to hit him with if she was going to smack him awake like usual?

_Maybe she _did_ kiss me..._

He almost wanted to laugh at the thought. It was depressingly unlikely. But how else did he wake up feeling like he did? He cast Shenzi a suspicious glance, searching her face for some kind of clue to her real intentions of that morning. She looked somewhat pleased as she scanned the horizon for wandering prey. His mind began to wander into fantasy-land, images of her and him together floating through his head.

The next thing he knew, a little burst of air hit his right ear, snapping him out of his thoughts as he felt himself blush and stop in his tracks, his tail twitching reflexively. Shenzi had blown in his ear.

Shenzi and Ed both cackled at their friend's reaction.

"Hey, what's the big deal?!" He scowled, his face growing hotter.

"W-well, ya weren't payin' attention!" Shenzi said between giggles. Ed cackled along with her in agreement.

Banzai fumed as the two continued to snicker, the hair on his neck standing on end. He was sorely tempted to pounce on her and teach her a lesson, despite the likelihood of getting his ass handed to him. Shenzi, not wanting to push him too far, stopped laughing and lightly punched his shoulder.

"Aw, quit sulkin' and get a move on, honey. There's a wildebeest herd up ahead," Shenzi smirked, pointing towards the large group of the mammals. The sight of the herd made Banzai's mouth water as his anger almost melted away, his empty stomach suddenly reminding him of more important things. He grinned fiendishly at the thought of the savory meat as he started to move in closer, the other two following suit.

Shenzi watched the male hunch down in preparation for a deadly pounce on the nearest wildebeest, a smaller female, and she couldn't help but grin. The look he gave her when he was pissed off was definitely one of her favorites, alongside the confident look of a hunter that he had now.

_I'm gonna have to add " deep sleepin''" to the list of favorite looks, now._

As she thought back to his strange tail twitches, the corners of her mouth quivered as she refrained from laughing. The bizarre reflex didn't suit him at all.

He certainly wasn't the smartest, and he was the most quick-tempered hyena she had ever met, but Banzai really _was_ cute.


	3. Story 3: Temper, Temper

A/N: Only a quick note, I promise. These stories are in no particular order, and sometimes in no particular time-line, but this one takes place during the early days of Scar's reign.

* * *

_Short Summary:_ Banzai is quick to anger, everyone knows that. Banzai and Shenzi have an argument, nothing new about that, either. It's over something stupid, as it usually is. What's weird is why Shenzi gets so riled up over it. What's she hiding?

* * *

_**Temper, Temper**_

"Why the hell can't ya just drop this?" Shenzi grumbled to her gruff male companion. Her brows were furrowed for so long today she swore that she'd be getting a headache soon from the strain.

"'Cuz you won't stop being so damn secretive, that's why! Just tell me and I'll leave ya alone!" Banzai argued.

Ed, who was drinking from the watering hole nearby, rolled his unfocused eyes. They'd been arguing like this for the past half-hour. They argued often, but today Shenzi had been getting a lot more short with them, _especially_ Banzai. It blew up when she started chewing him out after he nearly got stomped on by a giraffe, and the more she shouted, the more he shouted back, and so forth. It was strange for Shenzi to be so overly-aggressive with them, as she was not one to start arguments or let them continue on for so long, let alone raise her voice to Banzai-levels; Banzai had always had a loud voice and a quick temper, so it was no surprise whenever _he_ started a fight or couldn't let something go.

Ed was considering leaving the two alone for a while and heading back to the skull they all shared with the few remains of the zebra they had caught earlier.

"And I keep tellin' ya, there's nothing wrong with me! Can't ya get that through that thick skull of yours?!" The female hyena shouted, her bangs dropping in front of her eyes for the tenth time. She huffed angrily at the male, who gave her a disbelieving glare.

"You're _never_ this pissed, that's why! You avoided looking at me all morning, and then you go and bitch at me over the giraffe - which I could've handled - _way_ longer than normal! I'm not gonna shut up until you say what's got you actin' so _weird_!" The pair had hardly any space between them now, yet they were shouting so loud a passerby could swear the whole Savannah could hear it.

"I'm _not _actin' weird! I'D BE FINE IF YOU WOULD _SHUT UP_ AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" She barked, pushing him with her paw.

"You ARE actin' weird and you _know it_!"

"Am _not_!"

"Just freakin' tell me what you're problem is!"

Ed started to slink away from the two, watching them shout at each other on the hill above him for a moment before turning his gaze to the sunset before him, trotting towards it.

"_YOU_ ARE!"

"_ASIDE FROM ME_!"

"PISS OFF!"

"MAKE ME!"

Shenzi slapped her paw to her head, growling as she willed herself from killing her best friend.

"Just tell me what's got ya actin' so weird and I'll drop it, Shenz'! Just _tell me_!" He shouted quieter this time.

"NO." Shenzi growled stubbornly.

"At least say WHY!" Banzai growled loudly, his thick eyebrows furrowed at her.

"N-"

"THEN TELL ME!"

"FINE," she barked. "I -" She stopped herself, biting her lower lip.

"You what?"

Shenzi lowered her gaze to the ground, her glare softer, but still present as she tried to compose herself.

"Well?" Banzai asked impatiently. He was less angry, but now as eager as ever to finally hear what she'd been holding back all day.

"I JUST...! Ugh, I -" Shenzi stumbled over her words, her cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment, biting her lip more as she tried to work out what she wanted to say.

"Well, spit it out!" he said.

"WOULD YOU _QUIT IT_, I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU!" The female hyena yelled, her gaze finally meeting his again.

The savannah was suddenly very quiet. Other animals around them, near and far, looked in their direction.

Farther off, Ed's ears had perked up at Shenzi's exclamation, and he was staring back at his two best friends on the hill above the watering hole. He could seen Banzai's absolutely stunned expression as clear as day.

_It's about time one of them said it, _Ed thought to himself. He certainly wasn't the brightest hyena, but even he could see that they liked each other. He lingered in his spot, wanting to see what happened next.

Banzai was speechless. He felt lighter than air at the moment, wondering if he was in a dream of some kind. There was no way she had said that. He was hearing things. There was no way that the girl he had a crush on since _forever_ actually felt the same way...

Shenzi stood there for a moment, her face beet red with sheer embarrassment as she realized what she had just blurted out. She gave a half-hearted glare at the speechless male as her eyes teared up, and she ran off.

It only took two seconds for the male to realize what was happening. The only chance he had was running away as he sat there. "Shenz', wait!"

She kept running, and he swore he could see her crying, something she never did in front of others.

"SHENZI!" He yelled louder as he gave chase, hoping to get her attention. Still being ignored, and not catching up to her as quick as he'd like, Banzai did the only thing he could think of - stopping in his tracks shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I LOVE YOU, TOO, SHENZI!"

The female hyena slowed to a stop, her tear-stained face turning back towards him as her grew eyes wide.

Banzai was digging his claws into the dirt to stop himself from shaking.

Shenzi's mouth started to stretch into a shaky grin, and in moments, she was sitting in the plains, laughing with her head in her paws. For a brief moment, Banzai was terrified that this was some awful, awful joke that life decided to play on him….

"You idiot, could you yell any louder?!" She laughed as he breathed a mental sigh of relief and dared to walk closer, a wary smile starting to form on his face.

He stood across from her now, still a bit unsure about the situation. "You...were serious, right?" He asked, worry edging in his voice.

"Yeah, you yell pretty damn loud," her tone softened, and her smile became sincere as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Of course I was serious."

Banzai's face lit up in a toothy grin as he collapsed sideways onto the grassy plain, laughing in relief. "I really hope I'm not dreamin'."

A paw swatted him in the face, evoking a surprised yelp from the male hyena.

"Well now ya know you ain't dreamin'!" Shenzi laughed as she laid down next to him.

A short distance away, Ed sighed in relief and began the journey back to the skull. He knew that sooner or later Banzai would be strutting in there and telling him the good news, Shenzi rolling her eyes and swatting him for blabbing so openly.


	4. Story 4: Jealousy, I Rebuke Thee

A/N: I have a couple more ideas for stories in this series that I am working on (including one where we see how the trio met), but if any of you darling readers gets an idea for one I haven't done yet, feel free to message me (or email me) about it and I'll see what I can do. (-9 w 9-) (No promises, though…)

Other than that, I have some OC's in here! I keep seeing love-rivals in these kind of stories portrayed as really horrid, conniving and only going after Shenzi for her power as matriarch. Don't get me wrong, I still love those stories and enjoy every moment of 'em, but it does get a little repetitive. I wanted to have a story were the rival is actually pretty innocent. So we enter…_Tamari_.

* * *

_Short Summary:_ Another male hyena chats up Shenzi, and Banzai's jealousy flares to a boil. How can a _stranger_ get her attention when he's been her best friend for years?! As he's about to literally leap in to stop the possibly-budding romance, Ed stops him, and for once Banzai decides he needs to think about all this…

* * *

_**Jealousy, I Rebuke Thee**_

Banzai stood stiffly on the giant pile of various animal bones in the hotter-than-normal afternoon sun. His ears were perked upwards, intent on hearing as many words exchanged between the pair sitting together in the distance as he possibly could. They sat close to one another and every now and then, he could hear either wild laughter or softer sniggers from both of them.

The male felt his heart twisting in his chest. Some beta hyena male was down there chatting up and _flirting_ with Shenzi, and she seemed to be reciprocating his affections, laughing along with him. From his angle, Banzai couldn't see Shenzi's face, but he could clearly see the longing in the beta's expressions.

A growl welled up in his throat as his claws dug at the surface of the dirt-and-bone hill. He couldn't take much more more of this - something had to be done about the pathetic worm who even dared to try and get with _her_! How could the guy think he had a chance with the freakin' matriarch, let alone anyone _Banzai_ had his sights on? After all, Banzai had already fought with other alphas who challenged him (and had always seemed to add the condition that he'd keep away from Shenzi permanently if he lost), he was her best friend since they were freakin' cubs and _goddamnitall_ he'd been in love with her for far longer than any of those wimps! Jealous anger swept through him at the thought of this _nobody_ wooing her away. The fur on his neck stood on end as he prepared to lunge at the unsuspecting beta.

Shenzi's laughter echoed up towards him as she lightly swatted the beta on his shoulder. "_Tafari_! Come on!"

Just as Banzai was about to leap, something from his right knocked him harshly off balance and sending him tumbling backwards down the hill. The hyena landed on his left shoulder, barely managing to roll over to a standing position. "What the _hell_?! Who would-?" He growled as he looked up to the top of the hill; his jaw dropped open momentarily before he composed himself, anger and confusion whirling around his head. "ED?!"

His other best friend was trotting towards him, frantically babbling away with concerned yet narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean I shouldn't interfere?! I'm not about to let some twerp try to worm his way to the top by courtin' her!"

Ed gave him a knowing look as he continued to try and talk some sense into his lifelong friend.

"Yeah, I know I'm jealous! Yeah, I _know_...she'd hate me if not kill me if she really liked the guy. But what the hell am I supposed to _do_, Ed?!" He grabbed the other hyena by the shoulders with both paws and stared at his unfocused eyes. "I've loved her for ages! How could I possibly…" His voice fell as despair washed over him, his anger subsiding and pushed into a different direction. Ed was right. It wasn't like Shenzi was his mate or anything, he had no right to just rip a guy to shreds because he was _flirting_ with her. If he did go through with it, where would it leave him? Nowhere good, that was for sure.

His paws fell back to the ground, his head and ears lowered. "What am I supposed to _do,_ Ed?" He hated that beta, but he hated whatever deity or ghost decided to play with his heart like this even more.

Ed's tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he gave a confused shrug. Ed hated to see Banzai like this, but they were _both_ inexperienced in this area, how would Ed know the answer?

Banzai decided he needed to think. Maybe there was nothing he could do, but _maybe_ if he thought on it long enough, he'd have an answer other than _leave them alone_. He slunk away from the hill and Ed, his ears drooped and his tail low to the ground. He needed to get far away from here, far away enough so he wouldn't hear anything that even sounded remotely like Shenzi's laughter…

He wandered for a while, ending up on the border of the Pridelands. He flopped down on a somewhat-flattened ribcage as he stared out into plains, watching the heat ripple in the air as a pair of birds flew high above the grass. Feelings whirled in his mind; jealousy, anger, sadness, fear and heartache all combined into a horrid heart-wrenching emotion he couldn't quite put a word to. He loved Shenzi, no matter if she felt the same way. He wouldn't have minded if they just stayed best friends their whole lives, and he never made his feelings known...but he hated the thought of another guy having her attention, her time, her _love_. He hated it, and he hated himself for not being able to get over it.

Maybe he could deal with it if he actually told her how he felt. Maybe if he told her how much he cared for her, she might feel the same, or at least think about it.

_How would I even start?_ _What if she rejects me?_ His heart twitched in his chest at the thought. He almost didn't want to try anything if it meant she squished his heart under a rock.

He reprimanded himself. She wouldn't hurt him too badly, she knew him for so long; it wasn't like she'd laugh in his face or anything. He had to _try_. He could try every damn day of his life if he had to, until she told him to stop. Why was he giving up before he even tried anything? He shook his head. _I don't even know if she likes him or not, I'm just guessin' she does! I still have a chance! I'm not going to let some stringy hyena win her over _that _easily!_

He sat up straight, his mind buzzing. _I've got to do something that shows I like her, prove to that beta that I know her better than he _ever_ will. But what?_

Banzai scowled at his brain, burying his face in his paws as the struggled to think. "Come on, stupid, there's got to be _something_ that proves we know her! _Think!_ What does Shenzi like most in the world?"

A gurgling noise interrupted his thoughts. He glanced down at his stomach with a frustrated glower. "Are you kiddin' me?! I'm trying to think of the most important stuff I've ever thought of in my life, and you're freakin' _HUNGRY _now?!" The hyena shouted.

The loud outburst disturbed a group of nearby zebras, who decided to run across the plains to escape the noisy possible-predator. Banzai looked up as he heard the familiar sounds of a stampeding herd, his ears perked up reflexively.

Suddenly, something clicked in the hyena's head. A slow menacing grin spread over his features, and he hunched down low as he crept towards the grass. _Stomach, I'm sorry I ever doubted you._

He sprang forward, running as fast as he possibly could towards the herd, his teeth bared and ready to bite the nearest animal.

* * *

"And so I said to him, there ain't no way we can afford to eat this, the _bill's_ too big!" Shenzi laughed, "Get it, get it?" The alpha female grinned at her companion.

"Ah ha, yeah…" The male hyena gave a half-hearted smile in return as they walked.

"Tafari, I tell ya, that was the last time we tried eating pelican!" She joked, "I wouldn't recommend it unless you like the taste of fish anyway, it's almost just like it."

"Uh huh…" Tafari gave a quiet sigh. He had been so happy to have the opportunity to talk to Shenzi one-on-one; he had a crush on her for a few months, ever since he caught a glimpse of her hunting antelope during one of his more restless nights. He would've said something to her sooner, but since her two friends were always hanging around (and one of them being a notoriously hot-tempered and rather strong alpha male), he was afraid they'd chase him away if he approached her while they were hanging around. It was by pure luck that he bumped into her that afternoon, and he decided he might as well take advantage of her friend's absence.

Tafari had planned on getting to know her a bit more and then ask her to hunt dinner with him, but somehow Shenzi had wound up telling him so many stories of her and her friends that he felt he hardly had gotten to know her at all. And what he did know about her, he didn't find himself interested in. _How did I interpret "amazingly swift and graceful hunting skills" as "somewhat gentle but strong and more on the serious side"? She's anything _but _gentle, and she's joking around way more than she's being serious. This is getting kind of bothersome. Maybe I should ask out Nomusa, she's kind of quiet and she hunts well..._

He sighed, resigned to just put this long hour to an end. "Um, look, Shenzi, I -" Tafari was cut off by the matriarch holding a paw up and over his muzzle.

"Hold that thought, hun. You smell that?" She had stopped in her tracks and began to sniff the air vigorously, her pupils wide.

The beta male shoved her paw away gently. "Smell what? I don't smell anyth-" Suddenly, the odor hit him - fresh bloody meat. "Huh, a group must have made a successful hunt, I wonder what they caught…"

Just at that moment, as if on cue, a rough voice called out from behind them, on steeper ground. "Hey, Shenzi!" Banzai called as he waved one paw at her from the near-top of the bone hill the pair had been walking over earlier. "You'll _never_ guess what I just caught!" He teased, his eyes bright and mischievous. _Watch out, what's-your-face, I'm holding the one thing that Shenzi can't resist!_

"Is that _zebra_?" Shenzi exclaimed, her eyes alight with hunger and excitement. "Banzai, I could kiss you; I'm starvin'! Where did you get that haunch, it's huge!" She had started walking to meet him halfway, leaving Tafari to stare at the two alphas in disbelief.

_He caught a zebra and dragged that huge piece all the way over here, almost on the other side of the graveyard? _The alpha male was even stronger than Tafari thought...or just foolhardy. Maybe both.

Banzai grinned wide as he shifted the weight of the zebra haunch on his back. He had managed to take down a medium sized male and dragged home half the carcass (after he'd eaten a good-sized portion, of course), part of it left in the trio's shared skull for Ed to eat. "I got to hunt when a herd of 'em was passing close to the border, so I got the male zebra that was closest to me. I brought back a leg for ya," he explained as he dropped the leg in front of her, his tail puffing up defensively at the sight of the beta male heading towards him.

Shenzi's mouth watered as her tail stood straight up, wagging slightly. "Aw, man, ya shouldn't 've!" She immediately dug into the meat, her expression one of pure bliss.

Tafari winced at the sight of the female stuffing her cheeks with meat as she attempted to say something like "thanks" to her larger male friend, who was giving him a very spiteful glare. "Oh, you must be Banzai, Shenzi has told me so much about you and Ed," he said politely, "Far _too_ much, really," he muttered. _Ugh, if I had to sit through one more story about those two's antics, I'd tear my mane out. _"I'm Tafari, I happened to just run into Shenzi a while ago, but now that one of her friends are around to keep her company, I'll just go on and leave. See ya around, Shenzi!" He said quickly, taking a moment to see if she'd look back at him. He got a muffled "see ya" and a half-hearted wave in return before she was once again completely engrossed in her meal. The beta male rolled his eyes in disbelief as he walked away, picking up the pace as soon as he was a few yards away.

"What was a _poco alfeñique* _ like that hanging out with you for, Shenz'?" Banzai asked innocently, still glaring at the retreating hyena. _Other than drooling all over you._

The matriarch looked up from her meal and swallowed the chunk in her mouth. "Huh? Oh I dunno, he came up and started talkin' to me a while ago. I wasn't too surprised when he said he had wanted to meet me in person, there are some hyenas I only know the names of due to our numbers, you know? He said somethin' about seein' me hunt and how impressed he was. I was kinda flattered by that, but it's no surprise, really, I mean I _am_ the matriarch, I'm _supposed_ to be an impressive hunter! Things got kinda weird after that though," she scrunched her nose, "I told him some of my best jokes and he hardly laughed at all!"

Banzai perked up at that comment, giving her a grin as every trace of jealousy that had been running through his system disappeared. If there was anything Shenzi loved more than zebra, it was joking around with him and Ed. "Pfft, _none_ of 'em? Not even the lion one?"

"No! I even tried telling him some stories about the three of us, but I never got a rise outta him! Talk about a real twisted sense a' humor…" Shenzi rolled her eyes as she gave her best friend an almost sultry smile. "Makes me glad I've got _someone_ around here who can take a joke."

Banzai's heart raced and he swore he could feel his cheeks getting warm, even as he grinned toothily back. "Yeah, same here."

Shenzi picked up the rest of the zebra leg in her mouth and suggested they head back to the giant skull before Ed started searching for them. As the pair walked back, Banzai let his mind wander, and for a moment he wondered if he'd ever see Tafari hanging around Shenzi again. Well, even if he _did_, he supposed it didn't matter much. He knew her better than anyone, and there was no way she'd date a guy she couldn't laugh with.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Chimola, this whole thing makes me wonder if all alpha females are like that," Tafari ranted to his friend as they sat around their cave, picking at bones. "I mean, I spent a whole hour trying to get her to tell me more about herself and all I found out was that her sense of humor is way off and those two friends of hers are real idiots!"

Chimola, a beta hyena who was roughly a year younger than Tafari, looked up from the femur bone he was gnawing at. "Really? She _told_ you that? That's really surprising, I heard she beat the snot out of anyone who badmouthed them..."

"No, no, she didn't say it _directly_. She told me story after story of the stupid situations and adventures they get themselves into, so I've come to the conclusion that her friends are idiots," The older beta sighed as his companion went back to chewing on his bone. "I still can't believe I misjudged her that much. I mean, I thought alpha females were supposed to be _serious_. How'd we even get a matriarch like her?"

"She was _born_ into it, genius, and even then she's beat every challenger that's come at her. Besides, you're _way_ too serious anyway!" Chimola laughed, "I _still _can't believe you thought she'd be the gentle type! It's like you don't even live here, how have you not heard the stories about her? She's a tough leader for a reason!" The male pointed out cheekily, ignoring the frustrated mope on his friend's face. "Besides, not all alpha females are like her, anyway. But maybe you should try to date one of the beta females or something, I know one or two who'd go out with you."

"I was thinking of asking out Nomusa. She seems more like the quiet type, and I doubt she'd do more than talk about her crush-slash-boyfriend half the time, too."

Chimosa whipped his head up, his eyes wide as the bone he had been chewing on fell to the cave floor with a soft 'clunk'. "Wait, what?! You mean the rumors about Shenzi and Banzai are _true_?!"

Tafari raised a thin eyebrow at his friend. "I don't know about the rumors, but if anything, she's got a crush on the guy. I mean, my little sister never talked that much about a guy unless she had a thing for him, and during every story Shenzi told me, Banzai was always mentioned more," he paused, thinking. "Of course, now that_ I _mention him, that alpha showed up just as I was about to excuse myself. He brought a huge zebra leg with him, and she was so entranced by it she barely acknowledged me leaving. Talk about polite, eh?"

Chimosa nodded in agreement. "I'd bet half the savannah that he was giving you the death-glare when he saw you there, am I right?"

"Sorta, yeah - it's not too surprising, but how'd you know?"

"He's beaten the living daylights out of challengers who wanted to have a go at her before, and he's given all of them that glare. Why do you think so many guys keep their distance?"

"Hmm…" Tamaki agreed, gnawing away on a large bone shard as he stewed in his thoughts. If what Chimosa said was true, then clearly the two hyenas liked each other...but why hadn't they done anything about it yet? _Maybe those two alphas are more like me than I thought, and they just need to work up the courage to say something when the obstacle isn't in the way._

Chimosa threw his bone at the cave's wall before giving his friend a know-it-all smirk. "Hey, speaking of rumors, Tamaki, I think you might like the ones surrounding Nomusa. Wanna hear?"

Tamaki's ears perked with interest as he nodded, his mind focused on the subject at hand. Maybe rumors were more useful than he thought.

* * *

* Translates to "little weakling" in Spanish. At least according to Google translate.


End file.
